At Last, the Age of the Electric Car Really Arrives

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At Last, the Age of the Electric Car Really Arrives

For all the hype, electric cars still make up a tiny percentage of global vehicle sales. Like, less than one percent tiny. But there's a growing movement around the world to put a deadline on the life of the internal combustion engine. This year India, the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, and France, amongst other states and cities, have said they want to phase out gas and diesel vehicles within the next few decades. The planet's largest car market, China, is moving in the same direction. Government incentives influence car buyers attitudes, as evidenced by Norway, where EV sales now account for around 30 percent of sales.

With the longterm future of the fossil fuel-powered car under threat, automakers have no choice but to adapt. General Motors says it's working towards a fully electric future. All of Britain's Jaguar Land Rover cars and SUVs will have an electric option by 2020. Sweden's Volvo is doing the same, by 2019.

All that means that if you're looking to buy an electric car in 2018, you have more options than ever. (And despite early threats to do so, the newly passed tax bill didn't touch the $7,500 federal tax credit for buying an electric car.) Tesla's Model 3, the "affordable" sedan, should finally be available in large enough numbers to start filling some of the 400,000 back orders, if Elon Musk can pull it out of "production hell.". Nissan's 2018 Leaf, an update to the original electric car for the masses, has some new tech tricks, and at the high end Jaguar's I-Pace will give Tesla a run for its money.

So if your plan is to go emissions free, 2018 is a good time to do it. Check out your options for an electrifying ride in the video above.

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